In part: You might also think that it would have independent suspension rather than big axles, at least in the front, like almost every other SUV in the developed world does these days.

Nope. Not on a Wrangler.

That's because people who buy Jeep Wranglers aren't just looking for an SUV. They just want a Wrangler.

DaimlerChrysler, Jeep's modern parent company, brags that 80 percent of Wrangler buyers never even considered another vehicle.

That's probably why the Wrangler continues to exist given what would seem to be obvious shortcomings compared to other small SUVs. The ride is rough and, unless you get the recently introduced extended version, you have to choose between taking friends or luggage.